Importancia de los componentes sociales y ambientales como parte de la estrategia para la obtención de licencias ambientales en el desarrollo de proyectos mineros en Colombia. Caso Gramalote

Abstract

In recent decades, pressure and opposition to extractive activities (extraction of minerals, oil) and large infrastructure projects in Colombia have increased -- In the case of this study, companies in the mining sector have had to develop differentiating environmental and social strategies that allow them to continue with operational activities and, even more, in the development of new projects in a sustainable manner -- In Colombia, for the development of mining projects it is essential to obtain an environmental license, and obtaining it is not possible without environmental and social strategies that allow the internalization of fundamentalist and media pressures and the expectations of interested parties -- For this reason, in the present investigation the environmental and social strategy of the Gramalote case was documented, as a successful case in relation to the management of social and environmental challenges for the obtaining of environmental licenses, through interviews carried out with the leaders participating in said process (see annex), and based on the research carried out from the theoretical sources -- Additionally, the integration of the social and environmental strategy is presented, which can serve as a starting point for other mining projects to be developed in the country -- As a result, the level of investment, interaction and social pressure to which the mining projects are subject is demonstrated, which should be understood as long-term regional development projects, which will take advantage of the region's environmental capital -- Therefore, in order to obtain a social license to operate, they must work tirelessly, either in creating or improving social capital, because, finally, although the environmental license grants the legitimacy to develop the project, it is the social license that allows the acceptance and approval of the project by the interested parties